1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the art of suspenders and belts and more particularly to use of suspenders and belts in connection with firefighter's pants.
2. Description of Related Art
Suspenders have been used to support firefighter's pants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,315 to English et al. discloses a heat-resistant bib overall for use by a firefighter which can be supported by suspenders. U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,804 to Freese discloses a suspender end adapted for use in a suspender set wherein the suspender end comprises an elongated strip of flexible material. In the more recent past, some suspender designs have featured suspenders made entirely of elastic materials. Others have featured shoulder straps made of an inelastic material and back straps made of an elastic material.
While these previous designs have functioned more or less satisfactorily, some problems remain. One problem is the propensity of elastic straps to lose their strength over time. The firefighter's pants supported by such elastic straps are heavy. Accordingly, as the elastic straps lose their strength and begin to stretch under the weight of the pants, a potentially hazardous and uncomfortable condition is created where the pants no longer fit the firefighter as designed.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved suspender which overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.